Suite in Bb 1

HISTORICAL AND MUSICAL ANALYSIS OF RICHARD STRAUSS Suite in Bb, Op. 4

A CREATIVE PROJECT
SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE
MASTERS OF MUSIC
BY
DONALD P. LINN
DR. THOMAS CANEVA , ADVISOR

BALL STATE UNIVERSITY

MUNCIE, INDIANA
APRIL 2009

Suite in Bb 2

Historical and Musical Analysis of Richard Strauss Suite in Bb, Op. 4

Introduction
Richard Strauss Suite in Bb, Op. 4 for thirteen wind instruments was written in 1884.
This is an important work in the wind literature yet tends to be eclipsed by the earlier and
more frequently performed Serenade in Eb, Op.7. It is argued that both pieces were pivotal
in establishing the career of a young Richard Strauss. The popularity and frequent
performances of the Serenade in Eb spawned the creation of the Suite in Bb. It was this
commission and premier of the work that started both the conducting career of Strauss as
well as his compositional career on a larger stage. Examined in this paper will be the
historical significance of the Suite in Bb as well as its musical elements, structural elements
and form, thematic material and transformation, and motivic unity. Conducting
considerations relating to the works musical and thematic elements will also be explored.

Biographical Overview
Richard Strauss was a German composer of the late Romantic era who was best
known for his programmatic tone poems and operas. Strauss was gifted from a young age,
demonstrating musical aptitude on piano, violin, and composing his first piece at age six.
The first composition was the Schneiderpolka which his father notated from Richards piano
playing. The first piece that Richard Strauss wrote down himself was a Christmas carol in
1870. (Del Mar, 1962) Soon after, Strauss tried a variety of different kinds of compositions
including short piano pieces, sonatas, and even orchestra overtures. (The Musical Times,
1903) His first courses in music theory came from local Munich musician, Fredrick Meyer.
Meyer took Strauss through a five year study of harmony, counterpoint, and theory. (Trenner,

Suite in Bb 3
1964) It was from this advanced study that Richard Strauss began to expand his writing in
length, instrumentation, and complexity.
Richard Strauss also received much of his early musical training from his father,
Franz Strauss. Franz Strauss was a skilled horn player in the Munich Court Orchestra and a
professor at the Royal School of Music. (Del Mar, 1962) Franzs second wife, Richards
mother Josephine, was the daughter of a prominent and wealthy family of brewers named
Pschorr. (Del Mar, 1962) This was a connection to wealth and influence what would help the
young Strauss establish his career. It would be his uncle, George Pschorr, who would help
Richard Strauss get his first work published. At age 12, Richard Strauss completed his
Festmarsch in E major and in 1881 George Pschorr helped subsidize its publication from
Breitkopf and Hrtel; offering to pay for the printing costs. ( Del Mar, 1962) Richard
Strausss early years were marked by a need to learn and create within a supportive
environment that granted him many early successes.

Serenade for Winds in Eb, Op. 7

In order to fully understand the Suite in Bb, Op.4 the events surrounding the
popularity of his previous 1881 wind composition, Serenade for Winds in Eb, Op. 7, must be
examined. Strauss first composition that brought him respect and notoriety from the music
world was his Serenade for Winds in Eb, Op. 7 which was written in 1881. (Rhodes, 2007)
The work was written for thirteen wind instruments including two flutes, two oboes, two
clarinets, two bassoons, one contrabassoon, and four horns. The work was dedicated to his
first counterpoint teacher, Fredrick Meyer. (The Musical Times, 1903)

Suite in Bb 4
The Serenade in Eb was premiered in Dresden in a matinee performance under the
baton of Franz Wllner on the 27th of November in 1882. (Schuh, 1982) Franz Wllner was
the conductor who would also later give the premier performances of Till Eulenspiegel and
Don Quixote. (Del Mar, 1962) In the months following the premier, the work grew in
popularity and received many other performances. Later in Berlin it was performed by the
orchestra of the Konzerthaus under the direction of Benjamin Bilse. The work was later
performed by Hans von Blows Meiningen court orchestra with Franz Mannstdt
conducting. This Berlin performance by the Meiningen orchestra was given on the 27th of
February in 1883. ( Schuh, 1982) It was the performance of the Serenade and later
examination of the score which caught the attention and admiration of the head conductor of
the Meiningen court orchestra, Hans von Blow. Blow took a liking to the Serenade, giving
several more performances of the work with himself as the conductor and made the work a
standard in the orchestras repertoire. (The Musical Times, 1903)

Hans von Bllows commission

Eugen Spitzweg was a publisher who offered Strauss encouragement and was willing
to promote the young Strauss. Spitzweg was also a friend of Bulow who consulted with him
on whether or not to publish Richards work. (Shuh, 1982) It was Spitzweg who initialy
suggested that Hans von Blow take a closer look at the score of the Serenade in Eb. It was
from the closer examination and consequent performances that Blow became thoroughly
impressed with the Serenade in Eb and suggested to Strauss that he write a more expansive
work for the same instrumentation. Strauss was thrilled with the commission and had
already quickly completed work on the Praeludium and Romanze movements of a larger

Suite in Bb 5
work for chamber winds. Later, through correspondence with both Spitzweg and Blow,
Blow expressed that he wanted the new work to be more of a Suite with forms matching up
with the Baroque style. (Rhodes, 2007) Blow also desired that the piece be finished to
announce the arrival of the Meiningen orchestra in Munich on their 1884 summer tour.
(Trenner, 1964) Upon learning of these new parameters, Strauss wrote back to Bulow:

As a result of the suggestion you were kind enough to make, I have recently been
working on a suite for thirteen wind instruments. Unfortunately the scheme you drew
up for it came too late for me to be able to follow it in its entirety. I did not receive it
from Herr Spitzweg until after I had already sketched the first movement ( Prelude)
and the second ( Romance), and now only the last two movements ( Gavotte and
Introduction and Fugue) are in conformity with your kind advice.(9 August 1884)
(Shuh, 1982)

The Stress-Filled Premier

Strauss was well aware that the Meiningen orchestra was to premier his Suite in his
home city of Munich while on tour but it was on October 22, 1884 that Strauss learned
through Spitzweg that Bulow desired that Strauss would conduct the work himself at the
matinee premier at the Munich Odeonssaal. ( Shuh, 1982) Blow also informed Richard
Strauss that the players had spent some time on the work before the tour and that Strauss
would be able to adjust the players to his own interpretation on the morning of the
performance. It was also made clear that Strauss would get absolutely no to time to rehearse
or even run through the Suite with the performers prior to the actual performance. Blow

Suite in Bb 6
stated in his correspondence: There wont be any rehearsals. The orchestra has no time for
that on tour. (Shuh, 1982) It must have been an interesting scenario for Strauss to be
informed that a very important premier of his work would get no rehearsal and that he would
also be expected to make his public conducting debut on the same performance. It was not an
ideal scenario but it was still an opportunity to great to ignore or turn down. Here is Strauss
own account of the premier:

I went to fetch Blow from his hotel: he was in an abominably bad mood. As we
were going up the stairs in the Odeon he was fulminating against Munich, which had
cast Wagner and him out, against old Perfall, called the Odeon a cross between a
church and a stock exchange, in short, he was as delightfully unbearable as only he
could be, when he was furious about something. The matinee ran its course. I
conducted my piece through something of a haze; all I can remember now is that I
didnt make a complete mess of it, but I simply couldnt say what it was actually like
otherwise. Blow didnt listen to my debut at all, he was storming round and round
the instrument room, chain-smoking. Just as I got back in there, my father came in by
another door, deeply moved, to express his thanks to Blow. That was what Blow
had been waiting for. He pounced on my father like a ravening lion. You have
nothing to thank me for, he yelled, I havent forgotten the way you treated me, here
in this god-forsaken city. I did what I did today because your son has talent, not for
your sweet sake. Without another word my father left the room, whence all others
had fled as soon as they saw Blow erupt. Of course the effect of this scene was to
completely ruin my debut for me, but all of a sudden Blow was in the best of

Suite in Bb 7
tempers. He later made amends for the affront he gave my father on that occasion,
and my father did not harbour resentment against his sons benefactor.(Shuh, 1982)

The Start of a Career

Strauss conducting debut must have been somewhat successful because von Blow
decided to make Strauss the assistant conductor of the Meiningen Court Orchestra the
following year at age 21. The job given to Strauss at this point would also imply that he was
to be Bulows successor. This was a tremendous honor for someone so young. In 1885,
Blow resigned his post as conductor at Meiningen, thus officially making Strauss the head
conductor. (The Musical Times, 1903) It was later that Strauss was offered the position as
Musikdirektor at the Munich Hof-und Nationaltheater, giving him the opportunity to return
home to Munich in 1886. (Trenner, 1964) The commissioning by Hans von Blow and
performance of the Suite in Bb Op. 4 ended up establishing Richard Strauss compositional
and conducting career.

Opus number confusion

It is a bit confusing that the Suite in Bb is listed at opus 4 while the Serenade in Eb
written almost three years earlier is opus 7. This is because the Suite was in manuscript form
for a while and was not published until 1911 by Frstner. Due to this later publishing, the
Suite was given an opus number originally intended for a concert overture that was never
published. (Del Mar, 1962)

Suite in Bb 8

Overview of the Work

The Suite in Bb, Op. 4 is in four movements; the Praeludium, the Romanze, the
Gavotte, and the Introduction und Fuge. The first two movements were composed first
before learning of Blows intentions to make it more like a Suite. (Del Mar, 1962) The first
two movements are both in a shortened sonata form, lacking extensive and fully realized
developments. The third movement, composed at Blows request, features a 19th century
interpretation of a dance like gavotte played off a B section featuring a musette in a minor
mode. The final movement features an introduction taken from material in the Romanze in a
transformed key transitioning to an exciting, though academic, five voice fugue featuring
motivic material.
Overall, the work is very romantic and expressive. Strauss writing features not only
solo instrument timbres but different combinations and blends of the instruments for
changing textures and colors. Young Strauss demonstrates his ability to use motives and
then transform and connect them throughout each movement. Motivic transformation is a
quality that will be developed throughout the rest of his career and featured prominently in
his famous tone poems. Usually these motives center around three falling notes with a rising
leap or an inverted three rising notes with a fall in interval. In each movement there is some
sort of theme that will feature this motive, giving all the movements a sense of connectivity.

Movement I Praeludium
The Prelude movement is in a shortened sonata form. The sonata form is shortened
due to a lack of an extended development. The development section of the work starts at
rehearsal E featuring plays on previous themes in a sparse texture. The development section

Suite in Bb 9
as analyzed is only seventeen measures long. An excerpt reduction of the opening bars of the
first theme reveal the main motivic gesture of the work featured first in the lowest line played
by the contrabassoon and second bassoon. That motivic gesture is characterized by a three
note fall to a leap. The leap featured in m.1 is not as dramatic as found later in the work or
movement, but features a more neutral return to the tonic with the explicit purpose of
establishing the Bb tonic.

Figure1. Opening Theme

This movement begins in a similar way the Serenade in Eb does with respect to and eighth
note four feel. Also featured in the opening is a feeling of direction building toward a more
contrasting and sparse section starting in m. 11.
The Suites relation to Till Eulenspiegel
A new theme begins at m.11 and a dramatic fall in interval is featured in the first
clarinet. An echo of the new theme introduced by the clarinet is echoed by the first horn in
m.13. This falling theme featured in both these instruments sounds very similar to a familiar

Suite in Bb 10
Strauss motive found in a tone poem ten years later.

Figure 2. Falling theme

Figure 3. Till Eulenspiegel

Suite in Bb 11
This second theme at m.11 has the same pivotal pitches as the once upon a time
motive from Till Eulenspiegel. (Del Mar, 1962) It may just be coincidence, but it would seem
that Strauss is foreshadowing a motive that occurs in a tone poem he will write ten years later
in 1894. It may also be a coincidence that the second theme is performed in the same
primary instruments, clarinet and horn, that are featured in Till Eulenspiegel. It is the
responsibility of the conductor to make sure these themes are heard prominently and played
properly against the main motivic theme used as an accompaniment figure. This
accompaniment figure is featured first in the bassoons in m.12 and the clarinets in m.14. The
accompaniment figure needs to be featured not only in volume, but also in direction toward
the leaping resolution note.

The relationship between rehearsal D and rehearsal I

The closing theme of the exposition occurs at Rehearsal letter D and is a transformed
version of the opening theme. The theme is a call and response variation which has been
transposed to D minor. This transformation and transposition provides a dramatic ending to
the exposition. The closing theme of the exposition returns at the end of the recapitulation in
the coda section. The material from expositions closing theme is transformed to the pitch
center on Bb, as expected in a sonata form. The closing theme at the coda is further
transformed and stretched into augmentation. A sense of closure is achieved in the coda by
the previously mentioned elements to give a Bb tonal and rhythmic finality. The coda also
features the falling once upon a time motive sounded in the clarinet, climbing upwards to
introduce the Bb coda and augmentation section. The Praeludium finishes with horn and
oboe fanfares over the resolution of the closing theme augmentation in the bassoons and

Suite in Bb 12
clarinets.

Figure 4. Material at Rehearsal D

Movement II Romanze
The Romanze movement of the Suite is a slow and expressive break from the power
of the first movement. Some would interpret this second movement as an abbreviated sonata
form with almost a complete absence of a development. It would be more accurate to
interpret this movement as more of a free form with an introduction stated at the beginning, a
first theme starting at m.9 in G minor, a second theme transition at m.25, a strong Bb major
third theme beginning at m.39, and a closing theme variation of the third theme starting at m.
47. This large form repeats starting at m. 54. The movement culminates in a gorgeous and
passionate coda on the dominant pedal point of G minor and features the three note rise
motive, as an inversion of the first movement main motive, with a dramatic fall for the leap
note. This appassionato coda section closes with a recapitulation of the first theme in G
minor. Fanfares are heard in a similar fashion to the first movement, sounded in bassoon and
horn voices leading to a picardy third G major final chord.

Suite in Bb 13
In relation to conducting considerations for the Romanze, the main concern would be
the protection and support of the solo lines. Players will need to support the solo lines in
exact time and matching expression. In m.9, for example, it would be a general rehearsal
consideration to let the lead voices conduct during this section. The flute and oboe lead this
section and the rest of the ensemble should match what the top voices are doing to help
support the main solo lines with exact time and precision.
Figure 5. First Theme, Romanze

The Bb major third theme features the solo clarinet and is another moment where the
conductor has the opportunity to trust the musical ability of the soloist. It is important that
the conductor and the ensemble give the soloist freedom of expression. It is the
responsibility of the conductor and the ensemble to support that expression and phrasing with
the long tones in the accompanying figure. A more musical and expressive performance will
be achieved if the ensemble shapes the musical line with the soloist.

Suite in Bb 14
Figure 6. Solo Theme

The Bb major third theme contains the important three note rise motive in the second
measure of the section. This rise motive will be heard in the passionate coda of the
movement and is also featured later in the final movement. It is important to note that this
motive consists of a rise of the F, G, and A flat or a major second to a minor second. This
same three note rise can also be found before rehearsal letter C, the restatement of the
opening theme. Also featured in the clarinet solo is the interval of a perfect fourth. This
same interval is heard in the final horn and bassoon calls at the end of the movement.

Suite in Bb 15

Movement III Gavotte

The third movement is a late nineteenth century interpretation of a gavotte. A gavotte
is dance-like, in cut time and typically begins with two quarter pick ups that lead to the main
melody. However, Strauss places the two quarter notes on the down beat in a very strong
manner. The movement begins heavier and more comical compared to a traditional gavotte
and contains playful interaction and imitation among the different instrument groups. Strauss
uses this movement to demonstrate his command of orchestration by contrasting different
groups of instruments against solo voices. The B section of this gavotte features a musette
dance form with a drone in the bassoons to imitate the drone of a musette bagpipe. The
musette section strays from a typical pastoral quality due to the fact it is sounded in a tragic
minor. The gavotte section comes back again at m. 130 in a familiar Bb major.
The third movement is motivic and contains a new chromatic motive as well as the
traditional three note rise motive. In the beginning of the movement the new chromatic
motive is stated by the first and second bassoons. This chromatic motive in the first macro
gavotte section gets passed around among different instrument groupings. The new
chromatic theme starts on a G with the eventual destination being the B flat. The G is stated
again to start the diminished motivic rhythm by the bassoons. The new chromatic motive is
extended by transferring the falling chromatic line to the second oboe. It is important that the
conductor brings out the second oboe voice in this section for the purpose of chromatic
motivic clarity. Toward the end of this opening section, the motivic intervals open up in the
upper voices. This interval expansion occurs first the oboe, then the flute; expanding the
motive from minor second to major second. The flutes expand this motive further with
descending thirds with a final expansion occurring right before rehearsal letter A. The final

Suite in Bb 16
expansion in the lead voices is the ascending interval of a perfect fourth in a sudden forte
dynamic. It is recalled from the second movement that the interval of the perfect fourth also
gave a sense of finality in both the clarinet line and the closing fanfare figures.
Figure 7. Chromatic motive

Additionally, there is an important theme sounded in the musette section that has ties to all of
the movements, in particular the fugue theme in the final movement. This musette theme
features the three note rise with a leap down, bringing back the unifying motive.
Figure 8. Musette theme

Suite in Bb 17

Movement IV Introduction und Fuge

The final movement of the Suite in Bb features two large, contrasting sections. The
Introduction, which begins in a parallel Bb minor, is a transformation of the two main themes
from the second movement Romanze. In the first section of the Introduction there is a
transformed first theme of the Romanze. The Romanzes third theme is also featured in this
final movement and sounded in solo oboe. The first theme of the Introduction is restated at
rehearsal letter B and is used as a transition theme. Forward accelerating motion and
thickening of the texture propel the transition theme of the Introduction in to the fugue
section. The first theme of the Romanze stated at the end of the Introduction is gradually
transformed into a three note rising motive. This three note motive is compressed to minor
second motion to prepare us for the fugue section. The compression of the motive generates a
rising energy through the transition theme. After the transition theme, the fugue subject
begins in the first horn and is followed by a tonal answer at the fourth in the first clarinet.
The first oboe sounds the next entrance of the fugue subject followed by an answer sounded
in the first flute. A fifth voice in the bassoons is the final statement of the fugue subject of
the fugues opening section. Before the tempo primo there is a transition section which
features a version of the same three note rising motive used to signal the transition into the
fugue. The recapitulation of the fugue theme, while less academic, is still impressive in its
counterpoint. The recapitulation maintains a five voice fugue, but the tonal answers are
altered in an inversion of the fugue theme.
In the final movement of the Suite in Bb, many of our motives and themes return.
Motivic material found in the previous movements return in this movement in various ways.
Thematic material from the Romanze is used at the beginning of the Introduction to bring a

Suite in Bb 18
sense of connectivity to the earlier movement.
Figure 9. Romanze material in the final movement

In the Fuge there are three different rise motives that will be heard throughout. These
motives are used somewhere previously in the Suite. The main fugue subject consists of a
major second rise followed by a rise of a minor third.
Figure 10. Fugue Subject

The next rise motive occurs in the clarinets tonal answer of the subject and features
the interval of the ascending arpeggio; major third to minor third. The final motive heard
throughout the fugue is familiar major second to minor second rise motive. These rise
motives can also be heard in inversion, diminution, and augmentation. It is usually the horns
and bassoons that are used to stretch and compress the motive.
At letter K, the texture becomes very dense and it is the conductors responsibility to
bring out the motivic rises that were mentioned previously. All motivic notes are indicated

Suite in Bb 19
with accents and should be featured above the other non accented quarter note counterpoint.
The rise motive enters on both down beats and weaker beats in the section at letter K. Each
entrance should be distinct. The first horn part starting in the second measure of K features
the main rise motive in augmentation. Special emphasis should be placed on this first horn
entrance in order to bring out the line against the thick texture.
The work ends with a dramatic coda featuring the main rise motive sounded in a tutti
texture. This rise motive is altered in the coda through offsetting entrances, diminution and
augmentation. The first and second horns should perform the final statement of the fugue
subject theme powerfully to end the coda. This final statement played the by horns is offset
by a beat and contains a slight augmentation of the rhythm. These elements work together to
emphasize the final statement of the Fugue theme and its powerful fall of a minor 7th interval.

Conclusion
The Suite in Bb is a powerful and expressive work that should not be overlooked in
the wind ensemble literature. Strauss was able to take ideas of orchestration and thematic
writing learned from his Serenade in Eb and create a more expansive and complex work for
the same combination of wind instruments. Strauss exhibited further growth in the treatment
of wind instrument orchestration and also exhibited growth in his development of theme and
motive. The story of the Suites commission and premier are interesting, with Strauss owing
much of the success, as well as stress, of the premier to Hans von Blow. The Suite in Bb,
Op. 4 is arguably one of the most pivotal works in Strauss career; the work that helped
establish his career as a conductor and composer.

Suite in Bb 20

References
Del Mar, N. (1964). Richard Strauss- A critical commentary on his life and works. New
York, NY: Glencoe.
Rhodes, S.L. (2007). A history of the wind band. Retrieved February 4, 2009, from
http://academic.lipscomb.edu/windbandhistory/
RodesWindBand_05_19thCenturyEurope.htm.
Richard Strauss. (1903) The Musical Times, 44 (719)
Schuh, W. (1982) Richard Strauss: a chronicle of the early years, 1864-1898 (M. Whittall,
Trans.) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Trenner, F. (1964) Richard Strauss and Munich (G. Simon, Trans.)Tempo, New Series, 69,
5-14.

Suite in Bb 21

Appendix
DONALD P. LINN
conductor
GRADUATE LECTURE RECITAL
with
Chamber Winds
Historical and Musical Analysis of Richard Strauss
Suite in Bb, Op.4

Suite in Bb, Op.4 (1884).Richard Strauss(1864-1949)

Wednesday, March 25, 2009
12:00 p.m. MIB 152
Tune the Chamber Winds
Excerpt: Serenade in Eb, Op.7 ( 1881)
I. A Young Strauss and the Suite in Bb, Op. 4
A. Biographical Overview
B. Serenade for Winds in Eb, Op. 7
C. Hans von Blow commission
- request for the same instrumentation
- request for Baroque forms
D. The stress-filled premier
- first time conductor
- no rehearsals?
- reflection
E. The start of a career
F. Opus number confusion
II. Overview of the Work

Suite in Bb 22
A. Four movements
B. Romantic, expressive, colorful
C. Motivic

III. Movement I Praeludium

A. The Suites relation to Till Eulenspiegel

Suite in Bb 23

B. The relationship between rehearsal D and rehearsal I

C. Performance of the Praeludium

IV. Movement II Romanze
A. Let the lead players conduct

Suite in Bb 24

B. Protecting and Trusting the soloist

C. Performance of the Romanze

Suite in Bb 25

V. Movement III Gavotte

A. Chromatic motive at the beginning

B. Expanding interval in the theme

C. An oboe theme with ties to the Fugue

D. Performance of the Gavotte

VI. Movement IV Introduction und Fuge
A. Romanze material

Suite in Bb 26

B. Fugue Theme

C. Bringing out the motive at K Making the implicit explicit

D. Performance of the Introduction und Fuge

VII. Closing Remarks